1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a simulation actuator for moving surfaces for sitting on, standing on or lying on, used on mattresses, furniture or the like. The invention further relates to a microstimulation system with one or more stimulation actuators of this kind.
2. Related Art
Underspringing arrangements are known for mattresses or the like of furniture for sleeping on, lying on and/or sitting on, said arrangements having resilient slats which act as support elements for the mattresses and which, at opposite ends, are elastically mounted via elastic bearing means on a frame or on other fixed objects. The slats extend parallel to one another and are at fixed, usually equal distances apart. By modifying the elasticity of the bearing means, the spring properties of the underspringing arrangement can be adapted to the requirements of a person lying on the mattress or the like.
Individuals whose powers of perception are limited or disturbed, for example as a result of being unconscious, individuals whose mobility is severely restricted, including those at risk of developing bedsores and/or those suffering from chronic pain, are exposed to various problems arising from prolonged periods of confinement to bed. These problems mainly involve lack of stimulus, bedsores and pain caused by being kept in a lying position. Although known underspringing arrangements for mattresses or the like can be adapted in terms of their elasticity behavior to the needs of the particular individual, the above problems are not solved, or are at any rate not adequately solved, by said arrangements.
As a solution to these problems, German patent application DE 101 48 569 proposes that the ends of the slats of an underspringing arrangement for mattresses or the like are assigned stimulation actuators with lifting members with which the slats are moved up and down individually, which leads to an individual stimulation and movement of the person lying on the mattress. The lifting members are designed as bellows-type hollow bodies, with the slat ends being clipped onto the tope face of the hollow bodies. The hollow bodies are moved by means of a fluid, in the simplest case air, which is able to flow into and out of the hollow bodies. Starting from a central fluid pressure source, normally a compressor, the fluid is delivered to the bellows-type hollow bodies via respective fluid lines. A disadvantage of this underspringing arrangement and of the individual stimulation actuators is in particular the need to provide a large number of fluid pressure lines that connect the hollow bodies to the central fluid pressure source. In addition to the complex routing of the fluid lines, there is a risk of leaks occurring.